QR Code Stickers on Parking Meters Are a Scam
A parking meter wears a neat sticker with a QR code promising quick payment, and it looks official enough to scan. Scammers place those stickers over the real payment info, and the code leads to a fake page that harvests your card.
TL;DR / Quick Fix
Quick fix: do not scan stickers on meters — pay through the official parking app or the meter itself. If you already scanned one, check your bank for strange charges, and report the sticker to the city so it gets removed.
Follow these steps
- Do not scan the sticker. Treat any QR sticker on a meter as hostile until proven otherwise. The official meter or the city's known app is the safe route.
- Check whether the code covers real info. Look at the sticker's edges: scammers place theirs over the real payment instructions or the legitimate code. A sticker hiding the original is a confession.
- Pay through the official app. Open the parking app you already have, or type the city's parking address yourself. Your own route to payment cannot be sticker-swapped.
- Compare with the [[real-code overlay trick|qr-code-sticker-over-a-real-code]]. The same scam hits restaurant tables and EV chargers: a sticker over the genuine code. One pattern, many locations.
- If you scanned it, check your bank. Look for small test charges and anything unfamiliar. Scammers often start with a tiny charge to validate the stolen card.
- Report the sticker. Tell the city, the parking operator, or the police non-emergency line. One report gets the sticker removed before the next driver scans it.
What NOT to do
- Do not scan a QR code just because it looks official. Stickers are cheap to print, and official-looking is exactly the point.
- Do not enter card details on the page it opens. A real parking payment never needs your full card through a random QR page.
- Do not peel the sticker off with your card details already entered. Report it, but the priority is protecting your accounts first.
- Do not assume meters are the only target. The same overlay scam works on any public QR code, so stay suspicious everywhere.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell a fake meter QR code?
It is a sticker placed over the real instructions, often slightly crooked or covering the original. The official app is always safer.
What should I do if I already paid through one?
Check your bank statements for odd charges and tell your bank, so they can watch the card or replace it.
Are restaurant table QR codes safe?
The same overlay scam applies. Use the code printed on the official menu or ask staff when unsure.